THE first committee of staff and public that could eventually have a say on the running of Southampton General Hospital and the Princess Anne Hospital has been elected.

A total of 181 people nominated themselves for the available 17 seats on the hospitals’ first members’ council. Nearly 6,000 people – out of a possible 20,000 people who have signed up as members of the hospitals’ foundation trust – voted.

The election is part of the final stage of Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust’s plan to become an NHS Foundation Trust – a decision on which is expected within days.

Hospital bosses say the new status would mean that they would be free from Government control, have more say over hospital finances and be more locally accountable, but unions argue that the move would lead to more healthcare inequalities.

Elected staff members are consultant urologist Brian Birch, emergency department consultant nurse Rob Crouch, Caroline Wade and Matthew Hine.

The 13 public representatives are Rosemary Bynam, Colin Pritchard, Val Thorpe, Pamela Aihie, Sue Daniel, Pamela Akerman, Rihan Hinton, Eileen Gibbs, Nicola Groom, Carol Ann Aspin, Nicolas Jonas, Lyn Salisbury and Stephanie Barnes.